Creamy Artichoke, Spinach and Chicken Soup

A rich and creamy soup with artichokes, spinach, chicken and pasta inspired by the famous warm artichoke spinach dip that everyone loves.

Pureed artichokes make it thick and creamy without using any real cream and in turn permeate every single bite with their rich flavor. To turn it into a more filling main dish I added tender pieces of chicken and chewy bites of pasta along with fresh baby spinach, roasted red peppers, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasonings.

In case you didn’t know by now I absolutely adore soup. Not only to eat but I love cooking it too. The way the house fills with enticing aromas, the chopping and dicing, tasting and seasoning, the stirring of the pot. Some day I hope I can take any dish and turn it into a soup.

Right now, I’m having a slight major problem.

Well, really, it’s my cameras problem. He – she? It. Hates soup. It gets itself all twisted up in a tizzy and can’t take a good picture to save its life when a bowl of soup is in sight. That’s a total issue when you’re livelihood depends on your pictures.

These don’t relay how truly appetizing and delicious this actually is. The real in-your-face soup looks way better than this. I promise. I maybe should have checked the pictures first – before devouring the soup. . .Sometimes I’m just not that smart of a food blogger and hunger overrules. Especially when it comes to soup.

I get into a tizzy myself when I’m around it because all I want to do is eat it. Immediately. Without delay.

A rich and creamy soup with artichokes, spinach, chicken and pasta inspired by the famous warm artichoke spinach dip that everyone loves.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 jarred roasted red pepper, diced

coarse salt and fresh black pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed between fingers

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces

16 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

2 cans (14 ounce) chicken broth

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

4 cups fresh baby spinach, stems removed

6 ounces tubettini pasta or other small pasta

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oil in a large soup pot or heavy duty saucepan over medium heat and add the onion, garlic, red peppers, season with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Cook, stirring often until tender about ten minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the chicken, season well with salt and pepper, cook turning to brown on all sides.

Meanwhile puree the artichokes with about 1/2 cup of water (or more if needed) in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth. Add to the pot with the broth, parsley and red pepper flakes.

Bring to a simmer and cook 25 minutes. Taste halfway through and season with salt and pepper as needed.

After about 25 minutes stir in the Parmesan and spinach. Cook 5 - 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile cook the pasta separately. Drain and toss with a pat of butter or a drizzle of oil to prevent sticking.

To serve - add a few spoons of pasta to a bowl and spoon the soup over it, garnish with Parmesan.

Are you kidding me? Spinach and Artichoke dip soup! Seriously, this sounds like just a great Italian inspired soup – which are usually my favorite kinds. I love soups that you can grate some parm over like this. Sounds delish!